Extensible, filtered lists for mobile device user interface

ABSTRACT

The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for providing an improved user interface for mobile devices. Access to data and services from multiple software applications can be provided through a group or list of items. Each group or list can include multiple items, which can be associated with data or tasks from multiple applications. The set of groups of items can be both customizable and extensible to allow users to locate and utilize data and tasks relevant to the particular user. The set of item groups can provide users with a filtered view of content available through the mobile device, enhancing access to subset of data and tasks available on the mobile device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is an application claiming benefit under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S.Provisional Patent application Ser. No. 60/718,187 entitled “ENHANCEDPORTABLE DEVICE NAVIGATION TOOLS” and filed Sep. 16, 2005. Thisapplication is also related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser.No. ______, (Atty. Docket No. MS315059.01/MSFTP1352US), entitled,“SEARCH INTERFACE FOR MOBILE DEVICES”, and filed ______; U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. ______, (Atty. Docket No. MS315061.01/MSFTP1354US),entitled, “CONTENT SHARING USER INTERFACE FOR MOBILE DEVICES”, and filed______; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______, (Atty. Docket No.MS315063.01/MSFTP1355US), entitled, “TILE SPACE USER INTERFACE FORMOBILE DEVICES”, and filed ______. The entireties of the above-notedapplications are incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

Mobile or portable devices have become increasingly popular andprevalent in today's society. Many users utilize a mobile device, suchas a cell phone, as their primary means of communication and carry suchdevices with them constantly. Mobile devices can include multiplefunctions such as cellular phone service, voice over Internet protocol(“VoIP”) phone service, software applications, email access, Internetcapabilities, calendar functions, music players and the like. Functions,features and capabilities have increased both the utility and complexityof mobile devices. It is likely that functions will continue to be addedto mobile devices further increasing both usefulness and intricacy.

While consumers desire additional functionality, the sheer volume ofinformation and features make it difficult for users to access commonlyused data and functions. The complexity also makes it difficult forusers to fully exploit the capabilities of such devices. The problem isexacerbated by the generally limited user interfaces of mobile devices.Such devices are designed to be small, lightweight and easily portable.Consequently, mobile devices typically have limited display screens,keypads, keyboards and/or other input devices. Due to the size of theuser input devices and display screens, it may be difficult for users toenter, retrieve and view information using mobile devices.

Users may have difficulty in accessing the information or function theydesire due to organization of the volume and variety of information thatmay be contained in or accessed by the mobile device, as well as thegrowing number of functions such devices are capable of supporting.Conventional menu structures for mobile devices require users toremember a hierarchy of functions or applications to reach the desireddata or task. Information is frequently organized based upon theapplication software that provides or manages the information.Consequently, users can be required to access information based upon thevarious software applications rather than based upon user utility. Userscan become frustrated when they are unable to locate the desiredinformation or tasks and may be unable to fully exploit the functionsand advantages of the mobile device.

SUMMARY

The following presents a simplified summary in order to provide a basicunderstanding of some aspects of the claimed subject matter. Thissummary is not an extensive overview. It is not intended to identifykey/critical elements or to delineate the scope of the claimed subjectmatter. Its sole purpose is to present some concepts in a simplifiedform as a prelude to the more detailed description that is presentedlater.

Briefly described, the provided subject matter concerns an improved userinterface for mobile devices such as smartphones, personal digitalassistants (PDAs) and the like. Selected data and services provided bymultiple software applications can be accessed through a group or listof items. Each group or list can include multiple items that provideaccess to data or tasks from multiple applications. For example, a listcentered around a user's current day can include items corresponding tomeetings scheduled for that day using a calendar application, emailreceived on that day through an email application, and a weatherforecast for the day provided by a weather service application.

A customizable set of lists of items can be defined to allow users toquickly access relevant content such as commonly used data or tasks.Users can add, delete, reorder and/or edit lists or items to personalizeand increase usability of the mobile device. For example, in addition tothe list based upon a user's day described above, a user can define alist to manage music or audio files and a separate, second list tomanage pictures or images. Items in lists can be updated based uponspecific user selections. In addition, the items can be dynamicallyupdated based upon changes in the underlying data or services providedby software applications.

The set of lists can provide users with a filtered view of content andtasks available using the mobile device. While the full extent ofunderlying software applications remains available through theapplications, the set of lists can enhance usability by providing a userwith the ability to quickly access the most relevant or commonly useddata or tasks. For example, a user may have data for hundreds ofcontacts or persons stored in the mobile device. However, the usertypically communicates with only ten of those contacts on a daily basis.Those ten contacts can be maintained in a list of items. Information forthe ten contacts can be accessed directly from the list rather thanthrough the contact application. The full set of contacts can remainaccessible through the contact application.

In addition, a shortcut display can be provided to facilitate navigationof a horizontal list, such as the set of lists. A shortcut display canreorganize elements of the horizontal list as a vertical list, whichtypically allows additional items to be displayed. Selection of an itemor element of the shortcut list triggers a return to the parent,horizontal list. On return, the parent list is updated such that theitem selected within the shortcut list has focus in the parent list. Theshortcut list allows users to navigate rapidly through the parent list.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, certainillustrative aspects of the claimed subject matter are described hereinin connection with the following description and the annexed drawings.These aspects are indicative of various ways in which the subject mattermay be practiced, all of which are intended to be within the scope ofthe claimed subject matter. Other advantages and novel features maybecome apparent from the following detailed description when consideredin conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system for providing an enhanced displayin accordance with an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system for managing groups of items inaccordance with an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary display depicting an item group in accordancewith an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 4 is an exemplary display depicting an item group in accordancewith an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 5 is an exemplary display depicting an item group in accordancewith an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 6 is an exemplary display depicting an item group in accordancewith an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary pivot controls for use with a set of itemgroups in accordance with an aspect of the subject matter disclosedherein.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary default set of item groups in accordancewith an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 9 illustrates a methodology for providing a set of item groups inaccordance with an aspect described herein.

FIG. 10 illustrates a methodology for updating item groups in accordancewith an aspect described herein.

FIG. 11 illustrates a methodology for updating item groups based upon auser profile in accordance with an aspect described herein.

FIG. 12 illustrates a block diagram of a system for generating ashortcut display in accordance with an aspect of the subject matterdisclosed herein.

FIG. 13 includes exemplary displays illustrating the transition from aparent list to a shortcut display in accordance with an aspect of thesubject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 14 includes exemplary displays illustrating the return from ashortcut display to a parent list in accordance with an aspect of thesubject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 15 includes exemplary displays illustrating the use of a shortcutdisplay to facilitate navigation among the item groups in accordancewith an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 16 includes exemplary shortcut displays in accordance with anaspect of the subject matter disclosed herein.

FIG. 17 illustrates a methodology for displaying a shortcut display inaccordance with an aspect described herein.

FIG. 18 illustrates a methodology for returning to a parent list from ashortcut display in accordance with an aspect described herein.

FIG. 19 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a suitable operatingenvironment.

FIG. 20 is a schematic block diagram of a sample-computing environment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The various aspects of the subject matter described herein are nowdescribed with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein like numeralsrefer to like or corresponding elements throughout. It should beunderstood, however, that the drawings and detailed description relatingthereto are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter to theparticular form disclosed. Rather, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the claimed subject matter.

As used herein, the terms “component,” “system” and the like areintended to refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, acombination of hardware and software, software, or software inexecution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited to being,a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable,a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way ofillustration, both an application running on computer and the computercan be a component. One or more components may reside within a processand/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on onecomputer and/or distributed between two or more computers.

The word “exemplary” is used herein to mean serving as an example,instance, or illustration. The subject matter disclosed herein is notlimited by such examples. In addition, any aspect or design describedherein as “exemplary” is not necessarily to be construed as preferred oradvantageous over other aspects or designs.

Furthermore, the disclosed subject matter may be implemented as asystem, method, apparatus, or article of manufacture using standardprogramming and/or engineering techniques to produce software, firmware,hardware, or any combination thereof to control a computer or processorbased device to implement aspects detailed herein. The term “article ofmanufacture” (or alternatively, “computer program product”) as usedherein is intended to encompass a computer program accessible from anycomputer-readable device, carrier, or media. For example, computerreadable media can include but are not limited to magnetic storagedevices (e.g., hard disk, floppy disk, magnetic strips . . . ), opticaldisks (e.g., compact disk (CD), digital versatile disk (DVD). . . ),smart cards, and flash memory devices (e.g., card, stick). Additionallyit should be appreciated that a carrier wave can be employed to carrycomputer-readable electronic data such as those used in transmitting andreceiving electronic mail or in accessing a network such as the Internetor a local area network (LAN). Of course, those skilled in the art willrecognize many modifications may be made to this configuration withoutdeparting from the scope or spirit of the claimed subject matter.

Content on mobile devices can take many forms including, but not limitedto, contact information, calendar items, mail, music, photos, documents,and tasks. Access to content including data and available tasks istypically provided only through software applications specific to thedata type of the content, such as an application used to create orrender the specific content data type. For example, to read email from acontact, a user may be required to navigate to and open an emailapplication. To call that same contact with a question regarding thatemail, the user may be required to navigate to the space where thatcontact's communication details are visible (e.g., a contact cardspecifying contact specific information). Finding relevant informationcan require first determining the appropriate software application,opening the application and searching for the relevant informationwithin the application. For example, to view mail from a specificsender, the user may be required to navigate to email and search by thesender's name.

A set of lists or groups of items can be included in a user interface toprovide users with expedited access to relevant content including tasksand data. Here, the terms “item group” or “item list” can be usedinterchangeably to indicate a set of items. Sets of item groups can beused to shift the paradigm of mobile devices from an application centricmodel to a content centric model, resulting in a content based userinterface rather than an application based user interface. Item groupscan be used to surface content that is typically reachable only throughan application. Item groups can be used to eliminate a level ofindirection and provide direct access to a subset of applicationcontent, thereby increasing accessibility of content and usability ofthe mobile device.

Item groups can offer a filtered view of the content and tasks providedby one or more software applications. For instance, although users mayhave information for a large number of contacts, only a small subset(e.g., ten contacts) are likely to be relevant on a day-to-day basis.While users may want to be able to access all contacts, item groups canprovide faster, easier access to the subset of contacts that the userutilizes on a daily basis. Accordingly, item groups can offer a filteredview of data and tasks, providing limited access to content and tasksmost likely to be relevant. Software applications can still provideaccess to the remainder of content and tasks.

Item groups can be customized to allow users to specifically select therelevant or important items to include within one or more item groups.Alternatively, a mobile device can select content to be included in itemgroups automatically based on usage patterns or other indicia ofrelevance. For example, the most recently viewed contacts can bemaintained in an item group.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a display system 100 for a mobile device inaccordance with an aspect of the subject matter disclosed herein isillustrated. The system 100 can include a user interface component 102that receives input from one or more interface components 104 andchanges the view of a display on a mobile device (not shown) via adisplay component 106 according to such input. The system 100 canoperate on any type of mobile computing device, including, but notlimited to, a PDA, text messenger, cellular phone, pocket personalcomputer, smartphone, ultra-mobile tablet PC and the like. Input fromthe interface component 104 can include content obtained from one ormore software applications. Input can also include user input using atouch screen, keypad, joystick, or other type of button control. Asingle interface component 104 is illustrated herein for simplicity;however, multiple interface components 104 can be utilized includingseparate interface components for user input and input from softwareapplications. The user interface component 102 can include an inputcomponent 108 that receives and/or requests input including user inputand content used to generate the display from the interface component104. In addition, the user interface component 102 can include a groupmanager component 110 that manages a set of item groups available fordisplay.

The interface component 104 can include or can be connected to a contentsharing system capable of facilitating sharing of content from multiplesoftware applications. A content sharing system can provide a standardinterface between clients such as the interface component 104 andapplications providing content. This interface ensures that clients neednot have knowledge of the underlying data structures or even theidentity of applications to access content.

A content sharing system can manage the supply of data and simple tasksassociated with the data to the interface component 104. Applicationscan register new categories or classifications of data and associatedtasks with the content sharing system, automatically allowing theinterface component 104 to access the new data categories and tasks.Applications can also provide the content sharing system with datasupplier components capable of retrieving data from the underlying datastores of the applications. In addition, applications can provide taskexecutors capable of executing actions or tasks on selected data typesor categories. The central content sharing system can provide data andtasks to clients in response to queries or requests.

The interface component 104 can obtain data and associated tasks bygenerating a query specifying the category or type of data requested aswell as context used to identify relevant data of the requestedcategory. A set of data requests based upon the query from a client canbe distributed to data supplier components for various softwareapplications. The data supplier components can retrieve the relevantdata from the underlying data stores of associated applications and theretrieved results can be assembled and returned to the interfacecomponent 104. The query, data requests and query results can bespecified in a declarative language, such as extended markup language(XML) to facilitate transfer of data without requiring knowledge of datastructures by the client.

In another embodiment, the interface component 104 can interact directlywith one or more software applications. Applications can notify theinterface component 104 of a change to content and provide updatedcontent directly to the interface component 104. In addition, theinterface component can poll or request content from one or moreapplications either dynamically or periodically.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a group manager component 110 is illustrated indetail. The group manager component 110 can include a display groupcomponent 202, an available group component 204 and a profile component206. Any number of item groups can be available and/or used to generatea display. The display group component 202 can manage a set of itemgroups currently ready for display, referred to herein as the set ofdisplay item groups. The item groups included in the set of display itemgroups are not necessarily viewable on a display screen at any giventime. However, each item group within the set of display item groups isupdated and ready for display. Items included in the item groups withinthe set of display item groups can be dynamically updated based uponchanges in content to ensure that each item group is available fordisplay.

The available group component 204 can manage one or more item groupsthat are not currently included in the set of display item groups. Forexample, a large number of possible item groups can be generated eitherby the user, vendors or other entities. The user can select from thislarge set of available item groups to determine item groups to includewithin the set of display item groups. Users can add or delete itemgroups from the set of available item groups as well as the set ofdisplay item groups.

Users can generate and/or utilize one or more user profiles to specifyitem groups to be included in the set of display item groups. Theprofile component 206 can manage one or more user profiles. Differentuser profiles can be generated to reflect the varying needs or interestsof a user. Profiles can be generated based upon location, time of day,day of week, user context or any other user condition. For example, auser can specify a work profile that includes a set of item groupsspecific to the user's occupation. The user can also create a separateuser profile for use outside of work that can include entertainmentinformation, personal contacts and the like. Users can create profilesspecific to geographic locations, which can be particularly useful forusers that travel frequently. A user profile can also effect othermobile device or user interface settings and is not necessarily limitedto specifying the set of display item groups.

Sets of display item groups can be updated or replaced by selecting userprofiles. Users can view a list of possible user profiles and select themost appropriate profile for their current context. Alternatively, thecurrent user profile can be automatically updated based upon one or morepredetermined conditions, such as time of day or day of week. Forexample, a determination can be made that it is a weekend day and theweekend user profile can be utilized to generate a set of display itemgroups. If the mobile device is capable of determining location, themobile device can select a user profile based upon geographic location.For instance, the mobile device can determine if the user is at home, atwork or on travel and select the most appropriate user profile. A usercan override any user profile selections either by electing a differentuser profile or by individually adding and/or deleting item groups anditems from the current set of display item groups.

Referring now to FIG. 3, an exemplary user interface display 300including an item group is illustrated. The user interface display 300can include a title bar 302 that can include icons, images and/or textindicating the current time, battery power and connectivity for themobile device. In addition, the user interface 300 can include an itemgroup control bar 304. The item group control bar 304 can include textlabels, graphic images or icons indicating the item group currentlydisplayed upon the user interface 300. The item group control bar 304can also include text, graphic images or icons indicating additionalavailable item groups. The item group 306 can contain a list of items,such as messages for the user and can be represented as a vertical listof items 308 within the user interface display 300. Each item 308 canindicate content available to the user. In addition, the user interfacedisplay 300 can include a softkey bar 310 including one or more softkeyfunctions labels (e.g. New and More). A softkey is typically a buttonlocated proximate to the display space. Generally, the function of thebutton is defined by the softkey function label shown near the button onthe display space. Additional controls and features can be included in auser interface display 300.

Item groups 306 can include a set of items 308 that provide users withaccess to local and/or remote content. The content can be provided ormaintained by an application local to the mobile device. Alternatively,content can be retrieved or obtained from a remote source, such as aserver. For example, a user may subscribe to a news service. One or moreitems 308 can provide access to news provided by the news service. Inanother example, item groups 306 can include items 308 corresponding toone or more maps frequently utilized by the user. Typically, geographicdata sets such as maps are large. A mobile device may not have thecapacity to store multiple maps. Here, an item group 306 can providequick access to a selected set of maps stored in a remote data storethrough a set of items 308.

Items 308 can include content of any data type and each item group 306can include items of varying data types. For example, an item group caninclude items representing email messages pertinent to a meeting, acalendar appointment for the meeting and a document relevant to themeeting. In addition, each item 308 can include multiple data types. Forinstance, an item 308 can include text labels as well as a hyperlink.

Representations of items can include text, graphic images, hyperlinks orany other visual representation. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, icon,graphic images and/or text can be rendered within the same item 308.Further, an image can be used as the background of the item 308 and withtext overlaying the image. Each individual item 308 can include multiplecells or columns that can be populated with data of varying data types.For instance, a messaging item 308 can include a column or cell for anicon that can reflect the method of communication (e.g., voicemail ortext message), a cell for text including the message content and a cellfor text including the sender name. Different columns or cells can haveseparate tasks associated with the individual columns. Accordingly,selection of an icon can generate different task options than selectionof the sender. In addition, items 308 can include audio cues or data.For example, audio data may be triggered when an item 308 is in focus orwhen an item 308 is selected.

The order of the items 308 within an item group 306 can be modified by auser. A user can position items 308 within an item group 306.Alternatively, the items 308 can be automatically arranged and sorted bymetadata associated with each item 308. For example, music can be sortedwithin the music item group based upon genre, album, or artist. Ingeneral, items 308 can be sorted such that the items most likely to berelevant to the user are the most easily accessible.

Referring now to FIGS. 3-6, to facilitate user viewing and/or selectionof items, item groups can be presented using a variety of schemes orstyles. For example, an item group can be presented as a vertical listof items as illustrated in FIG. 3. In addition, item groups can berepresented horizontally, as in a carousel type display illustrated inFIG. 4. In a carousel display, the item group 306 can be represented asa ring of items 308, where the item 308 with focus appears enlarged inthe front of any other items 308. If the item 308 to the left isselected, the item 308 to the left gains focus and is enlarged and movedto the front. The item 308 that had focus previously is reduced andshifted to the right. The item groups 306 form a circular list orcontinuous loop such that if the focus continues to be shifted to theleft, eventually, the initial item 308 would regain focus.

Item groups can also be represented as grids as illustrated in FIG. 5.Any grid size can be supported and grids can extend off-screen.Scrollbars can be utilized to facilitate viewing and selection of items308 within a grid. In addition, items 308 in a grid can be of varyingsize. For example, an item group 306 can be represented such that theitem 308 with focus is enlarged and directly above a horizontal displayof remaining items 308, as shown in FIG. 6. Possible configurations ofitem groups are virtually limitless. Item groups can be represented inany arrangement that allows users to view and/or select one or moreitems. In addition, grids of items can be mapped to the mobile devicehardware, such as a number keypad, thereby facilitating selection ofitems.

In addition, item groups can be rendered differently depending ondisplay orientation, size or resolution. For instance, a messaging listviewed primarily in a high resolution, landscape orientation can displaymore or richer information per item than the same item group displayedusing a vertical list on a portrait display device. Item groups can beredrawn dynamically when changing between portrait and landscape styledisplays to take advantage of differences in screen width and height.

An item group control bar can be implemented as a pivot control, alsoreferred to as a pivot widget, to facilitate navigation through the setof display item groups. The set of display item groups can berepresented as a circular list or a continuous loop of item groups.Consequently, the pivot control allows users to rotate continuouslythrough the loop of item groups. By continuing to move in the samedirection, the user can cycle through all the display item groups. Userscan use the pivot control to navigate through the loop using an inputdevice such as a keypad, number pad, stylus or the like to move left orright. The pivot control can be accessed by both hardware and software.In general, an item group can be pivoted when a user makes a left orright action on their hardware control or when a user taps on the leftor right side of an on-screen pivot control. If the user continues toselect the same direction, the labels of the pivot control and thecorresponding item group will cycle back to their starting positions. Ifthe item groups are represented as vertical lists the on-screen pivotcontrol does not require focus to be in the pivot control in order topivot item groups. A user can hit left or right at any time to pivotwhen using vertical lists, even if focus is on a particular item in thelist, rather than on the pivot control.

However, the on-screen pivot control may require focus to pivot an itemgroup that is arranged horizontally, as in the case of a carousel asillustrated in FIG. 4. Consequently, to adjust the pivot of ahorizontally oriented list view while navigating the list, users mayneed to first move focus to the pivot control, and then use a left orright control to change the view of the list. Alternatively, up and downcontrols can be mapped to left and right movement within a horizontallist, leaving left and right controls free for pivoting between itemgroups. Grid views, as illustrated in FIG. 5 behave similarly tohorizontal lists. The on-screen pivot control may require focus to pivotan item group that is arranged in a grid. Consequently, to adjust thepivot of a grid list view from within the grid, users may first navigatethrough the grid until the pivot control is in focus, and then use aleft or right control to change the view of the list. Alternatively, upand down controls can be used to move horizontally through the grid aswell as vertically, leaving left and right controls available forpivoting between item groups.

Referring now to FIG. 7, exemplary pivot controls are illustrated. Asshown in pivot control 702, a name or label for the currently displayeditem group can be presented in the center of the pivot control. Thelabel can also include a sub-label indicating additional groupinformation, such as how the item group is currently sorted. Forexample, messages can be sorted by group, pictures by an associated timeand the like. Names or labels for one or more item groups adjacent tothe current item group within the set of display item groups can bedisplayed next to the current item group label. These labels allowsusers to see the item group that will become the current item group ifthe user pivots right or left. For example, for the pivot control 702, aright pivot can cause the item groups to shift to the left. The resultof the right shift can be seen in pivot control 704. Here, the“Messages” item group has been shifted to the left and is no longer thecurrent item group. The current item group has been updated to the itemgroup adjacent and to the right of the previous item group, here the“Pictures” item group.

The pivot control or other navigation controls can be displayedutilizing a variety of schemes or models. For example, one or more iconsor graphic images can be used either in addition to or instead of textlabels. For instance, pivot control 706 includes a graphic of a camerathat can represent an item group including one or more photographicimages. A graphic of a person can represent an item group includingcontact information. Graphic images and icons are illustrated hereinusing line drawings for simplicity; however, pictures or other graphicimages can be used throughout the display space.

Pivot controls or navigation controls can include notifications oralerts. A notification or alert, as used herein, can indicate a changein state, such as updated or new content. For example, in pivot control702 the number eight is included within parentheses in the text labelfor the current item group. This parenthetical can indicate that eightnew messages have been received, that there are eight total items withinthe Messages item group or that there are eight items that have not beopened or reviewed. In addition, text notifications such as theexemplary parenthetical, the text color, font, background or othervisual cues can be utilized to alert users to changes in item groups oritems.

Referring now to FIG. 8, a set of default item groups can be provided toa user. An exemplary set of default item groups can include: Today 800,Important People 802, Recent Messages 804, Recent Calls 806, RecentPhotographs 808, Recent Music 810, Mobile Operator 812, Applications 814and Tasks 816. The Today item group 800 can be a glance-able, extensiblelist of relevant information about the user's schedule for a given day.The Today item group can be set as the default item group, visiblewhenever a user launches item groups. As illustrated in FIG. 8, theToday item group 800 is slightly enlarged to indicate that the group hasfocus.

The Important People item group 802 can be a list of selected or flaggedcontacts. The People item group can provide quick access tocommunication methods, presence status, and details. The People itemgroup can be populated by a user utilizing the contact application. Whenan item representing a contact is selected, the user can be providedwith one or more communication methods for the contact depending uponthe particular contact. For example, if the contact information for theselected contact includes an email address, but not a telephone number,possible tasks for the item can include contacting the individual orentity via email, but not via telephone.

The Top Tasks item group 816 can include items corresponding tofrequently performed device settings and tasks. Finding and changingdevice settings are frequently among the most complex tasks for users toaccomplish on mobile devices. Items can include changing ring tone,changing the device theme, locking the device, updating or modifying theitem groups, setting an alarm, adjusting the clock and the like. Theordering and content of the Top Tasks item group can be static and basedupon initial defaults. Users may be able to add items corresponding toadditional tasks and reorder the items.

The Recent Messages item group 804 can be a consolidated inbox list ofall incoming communication attempts. Items can be sorted in any mannerconvenient to the user, such as sorted latest to earliest. The RecentMessages item group can provide users with a way to quickly check fornew mail and can contain email, Short Message Service (SMS),Manufacturing Message Specification (MMS), instant messaging (IM) chatrequests, voicemail and the like.

The Recent Calls item group 806 can be a coalesced list of incoming andoutgoing calls. This list can be subset of the call history. Each callcan be represented separately or individuals can be shown only once,even if multiple calls were made to or from the individuals. The listcan also indicate whether the call was incoming or outgoing. The listposition of individuals can be determined by their most recent call orthe list can be sorted in any manner useful to the user.

The Recent Programs or Applications item group 814 can include itemscorresponding to the most recent or most frequently used applicationsaccessible via the mobile device. Selecting an item can open and startthe application. Possible applications can include a web browser,calendar application, a game or any other application accessible fromthe mobile device. Items can include application or author logos orgraphics images provided by the software application or user.

The Recent Music item group 810 can include a list of recently usedmusic or audio files. Items can include playlists, albums, and songsrecently played by the user. The item can also include album art orother graphics associated with the music.

The Recent Photographs item group 808 can include a list of the mostrecently acquired and/or viewed pictures. The item group can be renderedin any style that provides maximum visibility of pictures. This caninclude a grid as illustrated in either FIG. 5 or 6, or any other usefulconfiguration. In addition, metadata such as date created or title canbe displayed. Items can be sorted by categories, dates or any othermetadata associated with the items. The number of items included in theitem group can be based upon the dates associated with images.Alternatively, a predetermined number of most recent images can bedisplayed. Tasks associated with items in the picture item group caninclude viewing, sharing or editing the pictures.

The Mobile Operator item group 812 can be a placeholder for a mobileoperator to provide services or applications to users. The default setof item groups illustrated in FIG. 8 is simply an example of oneconfiguration that can provide a user with quick and easy access to manyof the functions and data of the mobile device. The item groups can beused to provide a filtered, subset of the data and functionality of themobile device. In addition, users can customize item groups and items toensure that the data and content most relevant to the particular userare provided.

In addition to a set of default item group, such as the item groupsillustrated in FIG. 8, users can generate, edit and delete their ownitem groups. For example, a user can create an item group based upon aproject at work. The item group can include a variety of different typesof items associated with the project. The project item group can includeitems corresponding to contact information for co-workers assigned tothe project, calendar events such as project meetings, documentsassociated with the project, emails relevant to the project or any otherrelevant data or tasks.

The user can select specific data or tasks to be added to an item group.The selected or flagged items can be added to a user-created item groupor to a pre-existing item group. For example, a user may frequentlysends a status mail to his team. The user can open and compose a noteand add one or more recipients on the team. The user can then flag thenote and add it as a new item to his item group of tasks. Later the usercan quickly access the note and send status to his team using the itemgroup of tasks rather than opening an email application, retrieving thenote and sending the email. Typically, items selected and added to anitem group by a user are static and remain in the item group untilremoved or acted upon by the user.

Third parties can also provide item groups. Vendors of services or datacan generate and offer item groups to a user. For example, a vendor thatmaintains an online auction website can provide an auction specific itemgroup to a user. The auction item group can include items that track thecurrent status of any auctions in which the user is participating,indicating auction information such as the current bid or remainingtime. Items can be updated dynamically to reflect additional bids by theuser as well as expiration of item auctions. As shown in this example,the content associated with an item can be obtained from a remote sourceand items can be dynamically updated based upon that information withoutdirect action by the user.

Vendors can provide item groups to users as a service, which can requirea user subscription, or vendors can provide item groups as a method forperforming targeted advertising. For example, a clothing retailer canprovide an item group that can include items corresponding to onlinecoupons based upon the user's previous purchases. In addition, theretailer can provide additional items associated with new productstailored to the user's buying patterns. In addition, items can be basedupon user location. For instance, other items could include informationregarding the closest retailer location and/or provided coupons can beselected based upon proximity of the user to a specific store.

In addition, a third party can create an item that can be included in anexisting item group. For example, a weather service can provide an itemthat reflects the current weather and/or forecast for a specificlocation. If the mobile device is capable of determining its location,the item can update to reflect the weather and forecast for the currentlocation of the mobile device. Items can obtain information from aremote source, such as a web server and display the content. A user canelect to include the weather item in the Today item group or in anyother item group, such as a user-generated item group based on theuser's vacation plans.

Items can be either static or dynamic. In general, data or tasks thatare specifically selected for inclusion are static and do not change ormove without user interaction. However, items can also be dynamic. Inparticular, an item group can include the most frequently used or mostfrequently used items from a set. For instance, a list can include theten last songs that were listened to using the mobile device. An itemgroup can also include the ten most frequently used applicationsavailable from the mobile device. An item group can include both staticand dynamic items. For instance, the first item within an item group caninclude a static link to acquire content of a particular type (e.g., alink to a news server) and other items in the item group can includeitems of that content previously acquired (e.g., news articles acquiredfrom the news server). In addition, items can be automatically populatedbased upon events. The today item group can be automatically updated toinclude meetings added to the calendar for the current day as well asany other events or information specifically associated with the currentday.

In addition, dynamic update of items can be dependent upon content froma remote data source. For example, a user can sign up for a subscriptionto a music service. The user can elect to have the Music item groupautomatically update based upon the most frequently used songs of theservice to which the user has subscribed. Updates are based not on theusers actions, but rather on third party actions, such as selection ofmusic by other subscribers.

The appearance of the item groups can also be customizable. As describedabove, the lists can be organized on the display utilizing a variety ofschemes, such as a vertical scrolling lists, horizontal scrolling lists,grids or any other suitable organization. In addition, color schemes,themes and/or skins can be selected by the user to personalize theappearance of the individual item groups and items. A user can customizeappearance of item groups and items based upon aesthetic preferences orto increase usability. For instance, individual item groups can haveseparate colors, themes or skins to allow a user to identify an itemgroup at a glance. Quick identification can be particularly beneficialwhen a user is navigating through the set of display item groups.

The appearance of an item group, item, or the control bar can bemodified to alert or notify a user of a change in data in the itemgroup. For example, the color of the icons, graphics or text in thecontrol bar, item group and/or items can indicate whether there has beena recent change to the items for an item group. Alternatively, thebackground color for the icon or image can be updated to indicate amodification. For example, if the user has received a new message, the“Message” text can be rendered in bold font or in a different color. Inaddition, as shown above, additional data such as the number of itemscan be indicated within parentheses next to the item group label.

The systems herein are described with respect to interaction betweenseveral components. It should be appreciated that such systems andcomponents can include those components or sub-components specifiedtherein, some of the specified components or sub-components, and/oradditional components. Sub-components could also be implemented ascomponents communicatively coupled to other components rather thanincluded within parent components. Additionally, it should be noted thatone or more components may be combined into a single component providingaggregate functionality or divided into several sub-components. Thecomponents may also interact with one or more other components notspecifically described herein but known by those of skill in the art.

Furthermore, as will be appreciated various portions of the disclosedsystems and methods may include or consist of artificial intelligence orknowledge or rule based components, sub-components, processes, means,methodologies, or mechanisms (e.g., support vector machines, neuralnetworks, expert systems, Bayesian belief networks, fuzzy logic, datafusion engines, classifiers . . . ). Such components, inter alia, canautomate certain mechanisms or processes performed thereby to makeportions of the systems and methods more adaptive as well as efficientand intelligent.

In view of the exemplary systems described herein, methodologies thatmay be implemented in accordance with the disclosed subject matter willbe better appreciated with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 9-11.While for purposes of simplicity of explanation, the methodologies areshown and described as a series of blocks, it is to be understood andappreciated that the claimed subject matter is not limited by the orderof the blocks, as some blocks may occur in different orders and/orconcurrently with other blocks from what is depicted and describedherein. Moreover, not all illustrated blocks may be required toimplement the methodologies described hereinafter.

Additionally, it should be further appreciated that the methodologiesdisclosed hereinafter and throughout this specification are capable ofbeing stored on an article of manufacture to facilitate transporting andtransferring such methodologies to computers. The term article ofmanufacture, as used, is intended to encompass a computer programaccessible from any computer-readable device, carrier, or media.

Referring now to FIG. 9, a methodology for providing a set of itemgroups in accordance with an aspect described herein is illustrated. At902, one or more item groups can be generated. These item groups caninclude a set of default groups, user-generated groups or third-partyitem groups provided by vendors, mobile operators and the like. The itemgroups can be populated with one or more items at 904. Item groups canbe populated manually by user selections. Alternatively, the item groupcan be automatically populated based upon metadata associated with theitems. A view of the item groups for display can be determined at 906.Determining the view of the item groups can include determining the itemgroup that has focus, any alerts or notifications and ensuring that theitem groups are up to date. At 908, one or more of the item groups aredisplayed.

Referring now to FIG. 10, a methodology for updating an item group orgroups in accordance with an aspect described herein is illustrated. At1002, an update of the item group or groups is triggered. Updates can betriggered by user input such as addition, deletion or modification ofitem groups or items. Item groups can also be updated periodically basedupon predetermined time intervals. In addition, item group updates canbe triggered by changes in content associated with items contained withthe item group. The updated information for the item group(s) can beobtained at 1004. Updated information can be obtained upon requested. At1006, changes to the view of the item group or groups are determined.The display can reflect an update to an item group even if the itemgroup updated is not current item group pictured onscreen. For example,an update in an item group adjacent to the current item group can beindicated onscreen to alert users to the change. At 1008, the updateditem group(s) can be displayed.

Referring now to FIG. 11, a methodology for updating item groups basedupon user profile in accordance with an aspect described herein isillustrated. At 1102, a user profile can be selected from one or morepossible user profiles. User profiles can define the item groupsavailable for display on the mobile device and can be defined to provideuser with relevant content. Selection of a user profile can be basedupon location of the mobile device, time of day, day of the week or anyother relevant information. At 1104, the item groups to be displayed areselected based upon the user profile. The view of item groups isdetermined at 1106. For example, the set of item groups can include adefault item group, such that the current item group is set to thedefault item group. Alternatively, the current item group can be set tothe last item group displayed. At 1108, the display can be updated to inaccordance with the selected user profile.

Navigating horizontal lists such as a set of item groups can beinefficient and frustrating for users. Typically, displays of horizontallists are limited due to the size and/or orientation of display screens.Horizontal orientation of text in many languages (e.g., English, Germanand Russian) results in list items having a larger horizontal dimensionto allow users to read the text labels. The large horizontal dimensionreduces the number of items that can be arranged horizontally on thedisplay. Consequently, horizontal lists tend to be less efficient thanvertical lists. Frequently, only a small number of list items can bedisplayed horizontally. This limitation is especially pronounced formobile devices, where display screen size is particularly limited forportability. Even if icons or short text labels are utilized, horizontallists can be limited. Although potentially limited in the number ofitems displayed, horizontal displays can be extremely useful. Forinstance, where sets of lists are displayed on screen, such as the itemgroups described above, item groups can be represented as items in ahorizontal list, where each item of the horizontal list can contain avertical list representing items within an item group.

Referring now to FIG. 12, a system 1200 for generating a shortcutdisplay to facilitate navigation of horizontal lists is illustrated. Ashortcut display generated by the system 1200 can provide users with theability to quickly navigate horizontal lists. The system can include auser interface component 1202, an interface component 104 and a displaycomponent 106. The user interface component 1202 receives input from oneor more interface components 104 and changes the view of a display on amobile device (not shown) via a display component 106 according to suchinput. The system 1200 can operate on any type of mobile computingdevice, including, but not limited to, a PDA, text messenger, cellularphone, pocket personal computer, smartphone, ultra-mobile tablet PC andthe like. As described above, input from the interface component 104 caninclude content obtained from one or more software applications or userinput entered using a touch screen, keypad, joystick, button control orany other input device. A single interface component 104 is illustratedherein for simplicity; however, multiple interface components 104 can beutilized including separate interface components for user input andinput from software applications.

The user interface component 1202 utilizes input to generate and updatelists for display. The user interface component 1202 can include aparent list component 1204 that manages one or more parent lists. Parentlists can include horizontal lists. For example, a parent list couldinclude a set of item groups. In addition, the user interface component1202 can include a shortcut component 1206 that can generate a shortcutdisplay for an associated parent list.

The shortcut component 1206 can generate a shortcut display in responseto input received from the interface component 1204. The shortcutdisplay can be generated in response to either a single or series ofbutton pushes, voice input or any combination of user input. Forinstance, users can select a button to move left or right through thehorizontal list that serves as the parent list to the shortcut list. Byholding the button down, a user can trigger generation of a shortcutdisplay. Visual effects such as blurring of the display can be used toindicate that the view displayed is transitioning from the parenthorizontal list display to the shortcut display.

Referring now to FIG. 13, exemplary displays illustrate the transitionfrom a horizontal or parent list display 1300 to a shortcut display1302. Exemplary parent list display 1300 includes a horizontal list 1304of message types (e.g., “Video,” “All” and “Text”). Each item in thehorizontal list 1304 has an associated vertical list of messages forthat message type. The exemplary shortcut display of 1302 can begenerated based upon the parent list display 1300 in response to userinput. The shortcut display 1302 can continue to display all or aportion of the parent list display 1302 in the background to providecontext for the shortcut list 1306. The parent list 1304 can be shadedin grey on the shortcut display 1302 to deemphasize the parent list1304. The shortcut list 1306 can be represented as a vertical list, asshown in FIG. 13. Alternatively, the shortcut list 1306 can berepresented as a grid. The shortcut list 1306 can include the items ofthe parent horizontal list. The orientation of the shortcut list 1306can allow more items to be displayed to a user at any one time.Additional entries or items in the shortcut list 1306 not rendered tothe display can be viewed by scrolling the shortcut list 1306. Theshortcut list 1306 can scroll either up or down and scrolling can beindicated by arrows at the top and bottom of the shortcut list 1306.

Various color schemes, themes and/or skins can be selected by a user topersonalize the appearance of individual shortcut lists. A user cancustomize appearance of shortcut lists and items based upon aestheticpreferences or to increase usability. For instance, shortcut displayscan have colors, themes or skins based upon the parent list to allow auser to identify a shortcut display at a glance.

Referring now to FIG. 14, exemplary displays illustrate the return froma shortcut display 1400 to a parent list display 1402. Selection of anitem in the shortcut list 1404 results in a return to an updated parentlist. In response to the selection of an item in the shortcut list 1404,the parent list is updated, such that the selected item from theshortcut list is displayed as the current item in the parent list. Forinstance, in the exemplary displays of FIG. 14, selection of the seconditem in the shortcut list 1404, “text,” results in the parent list beingdisplayed with the current item “text.” As shown in parent list display1402 the vertical list, if any, displayed would be the vertical listassociated with the “text” item.

Referring now to FIG. 15, exemplary displays illustrate the use of ashortcut display to facilitate navigation among item groups. It canbecome cumbersome to navigate through each item group for large numbersof item groups included within a set of display item groups, as shown initem group display 1500. Rather than moving in order through the set ofitem groups, a user can trigger generation of a shortcut display 1502that includes a shortcut list 1504 containing item groups from the setof display item groups. Here, the shortcut list 1504 displays a list ofthe display item groups (e.g., People, Recent Photos, Recent Music,Messages, Tasks and Applications). Selecting an item group from theshortcut list 1504 results in a return to the display item groups andimmediate navigation to the selected item group within the parent oritem group display 1500.

Referring now to FIG. 16, items in a shortcut list 1602 can be displayedor rendered as text, graphics, icons or any combination thereof. Asshown in exemplary display 1600, each item in the shortcut list 1602 caninclude an icon or graphic image and/or text associated with the item.In addition, each item in the shortcut list 1602 can have an associatednumber. A user can select an item from the shortcut list 1602 byentering the associated number on a keypad, rather than scrollingthrough the shortcut list 1602. The numbers can be consistentlyassociated with the same the items in the shortcut list 1602, allowingusers to become familiar with numbers and allowing a user to quicklynavigate through the shortcut list 1602.

As shown in exemplary display 1604, an item with focus in the shortcutlist 1606 can be outlined or indicated with a separate border.Alternatively, the item with focus can have a distinct background color.Any method of visually distinguishing the item can be utilized. Inaddition, items in the shortcut list 1606 can be color coordinatedeither for aesthetics or to assist users in locating items quickly.Color schemes, themes and/or skins for items can be selected by the userto personalize the appearance of the shortcut list 1606 and items. Auser can customize appearance of items for aesthetics or usability.

Item can be ordered or positioned within the shortcut list to assistusers in locating desired items. Items can be positioned within a listin a consistent, predetermined order. Consistent positioning of itemsallows users to memorize location of items within shortcut lists,facilitating rapid location of items. Alternatively, items can bedynamically positioned in lists such that items currently of interest toa user are visible on screen and/or easily selectable. Items can bepositioned in the shortcut list based upon the item with focus in theparent list. Position within the shortcut list can also be determinedbased upon recent navigation through the parent list. For instance, ifthe user navigates through several items in the parent list beforetriggering the shortcut list, the items can be positioned within theshortcut list based upon such navigation. The items through which theuser has recently navigated need not be displayed in the shortcut list,or can be displayed at the bottom of the list.

Referring now to FIG. 17, a methodology for displaying a shortcut listis illustrated. At 1702, input is received that triggers the shortcutdisplay. Input can include user input such as selection of a button on akeypad, a stylus, or the like. Upon receipt of input triggering displayof the shortcut list, the items to be displayed in the shortcut list aredetermined at 1704. The items to be displayed in the shortcut listinclude the items of the parent list. For each item, a display formatfor the item within the shortcut list is determined at 1706. Text, iconsor graphics associated with the items from the parent list can be usedto display the item in the shortcut list. However, the items need not berendered in the same manner in both the parent list and the shortcutlist. For instance, the shortcut list can include additional text, iconsor other audiovisuals not necessarily included in the parent horizontallist. Alternatively, an item in a shortcut list can include a subset ofthe audiovisual data associated with the item within the parent list.

At 1708, the format and order of the shortcut list is determined. Theformat can include color scheme, background graphics and list style. Inaddition, the order of the items within the shortcut list is determined.The order of items in the list can be based in part upon the item in theparent list with focus when the shortcut display was triggered. If auser has already navigated through a portion of the parent list prior toinvoking the shortcut display, the items in the shortcut list can beordered to reflect this movement or current position within the parentdisplay. Alternatively, items can be displayed in a consistent order orposition in the list and the item with focus from the parent list canhave focus within the shortcut list. At 1710, the shortcut list isrendered to the display.

Referring now to FIG. 18, a methodology for utilizing a shortcut list isillustrated. At 1802, shortcut input is received. Shortcut inputincludes selection of an item in the shortcut list. A determination ismade as to the selected item in the shortcut list at 1804. At 1806, theparent list of the shortcut list is rendered on the display. Theselected item of the shortcut list can have focus when the parent listis displayed.

In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the disclosedsubject matter, FIGS. 19 and 20 as well as the following discussion areintended to provide a brief, general description of a suitableenvironment in which the various aspects of the disclosed subject mattermay be implemented. While the subject matter has been described above inthe general context of computer-executable instructions of a computerprogram that runs on a mobile device including a computer and/orcomputers, those skilled in the art will recognize that the innovationsdescribed herein also may be implemented in combination with otherprogram modules or software applications. Generally, program modulesinclude routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. thatperform particular tasks and/or implement particular abstract datatypes. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that theinventive methods may be practiced with other computer systemconfigurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor computersystems, mini-computing devices, mainframe computers, as well aspersonal computers, hand-held computing devices (e.g., PDA, phone, watch. . . ), microprocessor-based or programmable consumer or industrialelectronics, and the like. The illustrated aspects may also be practicedin distributed computing environments where tasks are performed byremote processing devices that are linked through a communicationsnetwork. However, some, if not all aspects of the subject matterdescribed herein can be practiced on stand-alone computers, includingmobile devices. In a distributed computing environment, program modulesmay be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.

With reference again to FIG. 19, the exemplary environment 1900 forimplementing various aspects of the embodiments includes a mobile deviceor computer 1902, the computer 1902 including a processing unit 1904, asystem memory 1906 and a system bus 1908. The system bus 1908 couplessystem components including, but not limited to, the system memory 1906to the processing unit 1904. The processing unit 1904 can be any ofvarious commercially available processors. Dual microprocessors andother multi-processor architectures may also be employed as theprocessing unit 1904.

The system memory 1906 includes read-only memory (ROM) 1910 and randomaccess memory (RAM) 1912. A basic input/output system (BIOS) is storedin a non-volatile memory 1910 such as ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, which BIOScontains the basic routines that help to transfer information betweenelements within the computer 1902, such as during start-up. The RAM 1912can also include a high-speed RAM such as static RAM for caching data.

The computer or mobile device 1902 further includes an internal harddisk drive (HDD) 1914 (e.g., EIDE, SATA), which internal hard disk drive1914 may also be configured for external use in a suitable chassis (notshown), a magnetic floppy disk drive (FDD) 1916, (e.g., to read from orwrite to a removable diskette 1918) and an optical disk drive 1920,(e.g., reading a CD-ROM disk 1922 or, to read from or write to otherhigh capacity optical media such as the DVD). The hard disk drive 1914,magnetic disk drive 1916 and optical disk drive 1920 can be connected tothe system bus 1908 by a hard disk drive interface 1924, a magnetic diskdrive interface 1926 and an optical drive interface 1928, respectively.The interface 1924 for external drive implementations includes at leastone or both of Universal Serial Bus (USB) and IEEE 1394 interfacetechnologies. Other external drive connection technologies are withincontemplation of the subject systems and methods.

The drives and their associated computer-readable media providenonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executableinstructions, and so forth. Consequently, the item group instructionscan be stored using the drives and their associated computer-readablemedia. For the computer 1902, the drives and media accommodate thestorage of any data in a suitable digital format. Although thedescription of computer-readable media above refers to a HDD, aremovable magnetic diskette, and a removable optical media such as a CDor DVD, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that othertypes of media which are readable by a computer, such as zip drives,magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, cartridges, and the like, mayalso be used in the exemplary operating environment, and further, thatany such media may contain computer-executable instructions forperforming the methods for the embodiments of the data management systemdescribed herein.

A number of program modules can be stored in the drives and RAM 1912,including an operating system 1930, one or more application programs1932, other program modules 1934 and program data 1936. The applicationprograms 1932 can provide content for the item groups. All or portionsof the operating system, applications, modules, and/or data can also becached in the RAM 1912. It is appreciated that the systems and methodscan be implemented with various commercially available operating systemsor combinations of operating systems.

A user can enter commands and information into the computer 1902 throughone or more wired/wireless input devices, e.g. a keyboard 1938 and apointing device, such as a mouse 1940. Other input devices (not shown)may include a microphone, an IR remote control, a joystick, a game pad,a stylus pen, touch screen, or the like. These and other input devicesare often connected to the processing unit 1904 through an input deviceinterface 1942 that is coupled to the system bus 1908, but can beconnected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, an IEEE 1394serial port, a game port, a USB port, an IR interface, etc. A displaydevice 1944 can be used to provide a set of group items to a user. Thedisplay devices can be connected to the system bus 1908 via aninterface, such as a video adapter 1946.

The mobile device or computer 1902 may operate in a networkedenvironment using logical connections via wired and/or wirelesscommunications to one or more remote computers, such as a remotecomputer(s) 1948. For example, the item group instructions can be localto the computer 1902 and software applications can be located remotelyon a remote computer 1948. The remote computer(s) 1948 can be aworkstation, a server computer, a router, a personal computer, portablecomputer, microprocessor-based entertainment appliance, a peer device orother common network node, and typically includes many or all of theelements described relative to the computer 1902, although, for purposesof brevity, only a memory/storage device 1950 is illustrated. Thelogical connections depicted include wired/wireless connectivity to alocal area network (LAN) 1952 and/or larger networks, e.g. a wide areanetwork (WAN) 1954. Such LAN and WAN networking environments arecommonplace in offices and companies, and facilitate enterprise-widecomputer networks, such as intranets, all of which may connect to aglobal communications network, e.g., the Internet.

When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 1902 isconnected to the local network 1952 through a wired and/or wirelesscommunication network interface or adapter 1956. The adaptor 1956 mayfacilitate wired or wireless communication to the LAN 1952, which mayalso include a wireless access point disposed thereon for communicatingwith the wireless adaptor 1956.

When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 1902 can includea modem 1958, or is connected to a communications server on the WAN1954, or has other means for establishing communications over the WAN1954, such as by way of the Internet. The modem 1958, which can beinternal or external and a wired or wireless device, is connected to thesystem bus 1908 via the serial port interface 1942. In a networkedenvironment, program modules depicted relative to the computer 1902, orportions thereof, can be stored in the remote memory/storage device1950. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown areexemplary and other means of establishing a communications link betweenthe computers can be used.

The computer 1902 is operable to communicate with any wireless devicesor entities operatively disposed in wireless communication, e.g., aprinter, scanner, desktop and/or portable computer, PDA, communicationssatellite, any piece of equipment or location associated with awirelessly detectable tag (e.g. a kiosk, news stand, restroom), andtelephone. The wireless devices or entities include at least Wi-Fi andBluetooth™ wireless technologies. Thus, the communication can be apredefined structure as with a conventional network or simply an ad hoccommunication between at least two devices.

Wi-Fi, or Wireless Fidelity, allows connection to the Internet from acouch at home, a bed in a hotel room, or a conference room at work,without wires. Wi-Fi is a wireless technology similar to that used in acell phone that enables such devices, e.g., computers, to send andreceive data indoors and out; anywhere within the range of a basestation. Wi-Fi networks use radio technologies called IEEE 802.11 (a, b,g, etc.) to provide secure, reliable, fast wireless connectivity. AWi-Fi network can be used to connect computers to each other, to theInternet, and to wired networks (which use IEEE 802.3 or Ethernet).Wi-Fi networks operate in the unlicensed 2.4 and 5 GHz radio bands, atan 11 Mbps (802.11a) or 54 Mbps (802.11b) data rate, for example, orwith products that contain both bands (dual band), so the networks canprovide real-world performance similar to the basic 10BaseT wiredEthernet networks used in many offices.

FIG. 20 is a schematic block diagram of a sample environment 2000 withwhich the systems and methods described herein can interact. The system2000 includes one or more mobile device(s) 2002. The mobile device(s)2002 can be hardware and/or software (e.g. threads, processes, computingdevices). The system 2000 also includes one or more server(s) 2004.Thus, system 2000 can correspond to a two-tier client server model or amulti-tier model (e.g., client, middle tier server, data server),amongst other models. The server(s) 2004 can also be hardware and/orsoftware (e.g., threads, processes, computing devices). One possiblecommunication between a mobile device 2002 and a server 2004 may be inthe form of a data packet adapted to be transmitted between two or morecomputer processes. The system 2000 includes a communication framework2006 that can be employed to facilitate communications between themobile device(s) 2002 and the server(s) 2004. The mobile device(s) 2002can be operably connected to or include one or more data store(s) 2008that can be employed to store information local to the mobile device(s)2002. Similarly, the server(s) 2004 are operably connected to one ormore server data store(s) 2010 that can be employed to store informationlocal to the servers 2004.

What has been described above includes examples of aspects of theclaimed subject matter. It is, of course, not possible to describe everyconceivable combination of components or methodologies for purposes ofdescribing the claimed subject matter, but one of ordinary skill in theart may recognize that many further combinations and permutations of thedisclosed subject matter are possible. Accordingly, the disclosedsubject matter is intended to embrace all such alterations,modifications and variations that fall within the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms“includes,” “has” or “having” are used in either the detaileddescription or the claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive in amanner similar to the term “comprising” as “comprising” is interpretedwhen employed as a transitional word in a claim.

1. A user interface for a mobile device, comprising: a group managercomponent that maintains a plurality of item groups that includes atleast one item that corresponds to content provided by one of aplurality of applications; an input component that obtains input andupdates the plurality of item groups based at least in part upon theinput; and a display component that displays a view of the plurality ofitem groups for the mobile device.
 2. The user interface of claim 1,further comprising: an interface component that obtains the content forthe at least one item from at least one of the plurality ofapplications.
 3. The user interface of claim 1, the plurality of itemgroups is managed as a circular list.
 4. The user interface of claim 3,further comprising: a pivot component that manages navigation among theplurality of item groups.
 5. The user interface of claim 1, the groupmanager component updates the plurality of item groups based at least inpart on input provided by a user.
 6. The user interface of claim 1, thedisplay component provides a shortcut view of the plurality of itemgroups, selection one of the plurality of item groups causes the displaycomponent to display the view including the selected item group.
 7. Theuser interface of claim 1, the at least one item includes at least oneof text and graphic images.
 8. The user interface of claim 1, thecontent includes at least one of a data item and a task.
 9. The userinterface of claim 1, further comprising: an available group componentthat manages a set of available item groups; and a display groupcomponent that manages the plurality of item groups selected from theset of available item groups.
 10. The user interface of claim 9, furthercomprising: a profile component that manages a user profile that selectsthe plurality of item groups from the set of available item groups. 11.The user interface of claim 1, the content can be provided from a remotelocation.
 12. A method for providing a user of a mobile device access tocontent provided by a plurality of applications, comprising: generatingat least one item group; populating the at least one item group with atleast one item, the at least one item provides access to the content;and displaying the at least one item group.
 13. The method of claim 12,further comprising: updating the at least one item group.
 14. The methodof claim 13, updating the at least one item group, further comprises:dynamically populating the at least one item based at least in part uponchange to the content.
 15. The method of claim 12, populating the atleast one item group further comprises: obtaining content correspondingto the at least one item from a remote source; and updating the at leastone item group based at least in part on the obtained content.
 16. Themethod of claim 12, further comprising: obtaining input indicating achange to the at least one item group; and displaying an alert thatindicates the change to the item group.
 17. The method of claim 12,further comprising: generating at least one user profile, the at leastone item group is selected from a set of available item groups based atleast in part on the user profile.
 18. A system for facilitating accessto content provided by a plurality of applications, comprising: meansfor managing a plurality of item groups with at least one item, thatprovides access to the content; and means for providing a view of theplurality of item groups.
 19. The system of claim 18, furthercomprising: means for updating the plurality of item group based atleast in part upon a change to the content.
 20. The system of claim 18,further comprising: means for generating a user profile; and means fordetermining the plurality of item groups from a set of available itemgroups based at least in part on the user profile.